Cliffs of Logic (unofficial)
thumbThe Logic Cliffs was a landmark located on the Isle of the Sacred Mountain (unofficial) on the northside of the island at Thorn Bay. It was devised to test individuals in order to find the one chosen by prophecy to defeat the minotaur who had taken over the catacombs in ancient days. The former location of the Logic Cliffs was once a nearly insuperable set of puzzles, it has now been replaced with a grand staircase winding its way up the mountain side leading to the City of the Winged Ones (unofficial). The face of the Cliffs are displayed elsewhere on the island to preserve their memory as a part of the island’s history. Background Sometime in the ancient past, the Oracle (unofficial) made a prophecy that a hero would come to defeat a Minotaur that had taken over the Catacombs of the Ancients. The Cliffs of Logic were created to test individuals to find the person with a keen mind and body who could defeat the Minotaur. The Winged Ones devised a series of tests, these included the stones of stealth, and the related riddle; For centuries, the Isle of the Sacred Mountain’s upper reaches had been barred to visitors by the fact that they were utterly unreachable except through magic. The Winged Ones’ had always only sent emissaries down to the human world to conduct official business, and staunchly refused to take down the Cliffs of Logic that barred those without magic or the power of flight from visiting their city. This refusal stemmed from the Cliffs' involvement in the ancient prophecy. Some time later, Alexander (unofficial) came to the island while searching for a way to help Cassima (unofficial). He discovered the cliffs secrets, and made it to the top fulfilling the Oracle's ancient prophecy. Having proven that he was the chosen one, he was promptly sent to the Catacombs to not only defeat the minotaur, but also save Celeste, the daughter of Lord Azure and Lady Aeriel. He succeeded, sending the minotaur to a fiery doom. He was honored by the grateful Winged Ones, and given a rare meeting with the Oracle herself. Once King Alexander proved to be the subject of the ancient prophecy by conquering them, their purpose was served and they were no longer necessary. The Winged Ones chose to remove the cliffs. In place of the potentially fatal questions, a grand and gorgeous staircase was built into the cliff side. Winged One architects personally oversaw and worked on the construction. The grand staircase meanders up the face of the cliff. Behind the scenes In The Silver Lining the Winged Ones have destroyed the Cliffs of Logic to make way a staircase up to the top of the cliffs, forming a grand staircase. This is out of character for the Winged Ones who according to KQ6 material, are "fiercely protective" of Ancient Ones artifacts, much as an archaeologist is protective of ancient sites of antiquity. It is also said that the prophecy concerning the cliffs was an ancient prophecy, and it was implied that the cliffs were made for that prophecy (perhaps predating the Winged Ones themselves). However, according to information in the Guidebook and KQ6, the prophecy was actually fairly recent (made around the time of the Guidebook was written), and was made by the Winged Ones' Oracle. *In KQ6, the cliffs were on the southside of the island, in TSL they are on the northside. *In TSL, there is no explanation for the reason why the the Winged One race would build steps up to the top of their mountain. An issue of Four Winds tries to explain that they are trying to learn how to interact with people more, and decided to create the staircase to allow people up to their city. They decided to destroy the cliffs because it was built for and related to an ancient prophecy to which Alexander solved, and was no longer relevant. *In the KQ6 continuity it is said that they prize their privacy, and prefer to limit visitors (as stated in the Guidebook to the Land of the Green Isles). It is also said in the Guidebook, that the Winged Ones fiercely protective of any of the artifacts left behind by the Ancient Ones race, their creators, much as an archaeologist would be protective of a site of World Heritage. The Cliffs were one such artifact and were built to protect the Ancient Ones from intruders from the seas. The prophecy itself was actually from the Oracle of the Winged Ones, and wasn't ancient but given in recent times just after the minotaur moved into the catacombs and began to attack the Winged Ones city and demanding sacrifices. She made the prophecy just a few years before or after Guidebook was written, about a decade before KQ6. In the King's Quest Companion its stated that the cliffs are the single way up the mountain (besides being carried up), its suggested that the puzzles have reset, to slow down others from reaching the top. *A later issue of The Four Winds attempts to further reconcile some of the issues, by stating that the face of the Cliffs of logic was moved elsewhere (in a separate location from the staircase) in order to protect its part of the ancient history of the island. Category:Places (TSL)